Moroccan · Seafood
Asilah Grilled Sardines in Chermoula
In the whitewashed Atlantic town of Asilah, sardines are split, packed with a garlicky coriander-and-cumin chermoula and grilled over charcoal until the skin blisters. Eaten with bread and a wedge of lemon by the sea wall, they're the essence of Moroccan coastal summer — cheap, smoky and gloriously oily.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 12 fresh sardines, scaled and butterflied
- 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
Method
- 1
Make chermoula
Mix the coriander, parsley, garlic, paprika, cumin, chilli, lemon juice, olive oil and salt into a thick, loose paste.
- 2
Stuff the sardines
Open the butterflied sardines and spread chermoula inside, then sandwich pairs together flesh-to-flesh.
- 3
Marinate
Rub a little chermoula on the skin and rest 20 minutes.
- 4
Heat the grill
Get a charcoal grill or ridged pan good and hot.
- 5
Grill
Grill the sardine sandwiches 3–4 minutes a side until the skin chars and the flesh is opaque.
- 6
Serve
Serve at once with bread, extra lemon and a tomato salad.
Chef's tips
- Very fresh sardines are essential — they should smell of the sea, not fishy.
- Sandwiching pairs flesh-to-flesh keeps the chermoula in and the fish moist.
- A fish cage or grilling basket makes turning the delicate sardines easy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I butterfly a sardine?
Remove the head and guts, open the fish flat along the belly, press down the backbone from the skin side, then lift out the bone — the fish opens like a book.
No charcoal grill?
A ridged grill pan or a hot oven grill both work. You'll miss a little smoke, but the chermoula still shines.